Former President Barack Obama will publish the first volume of his presidential memoir, A Promised Land, on November 17th via Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Obama refers to the memoir as “an honest accounting” of his life story and his time in office, with an emphasis on his rise through the political ranks.
“There’s no feeling like finishing a book, and I’m proud of this one,” Obama wrote in a statement. “I’ve spent the last few years reflecting on my presidency, and in A Promised Land I’ve tried to provide an honest accounting of my presidential campaign and my time in office: the key events and people who shaped it; my take on what I got right and the mistakes I made; and the political, economic and cultural forces that my team and I had to confront then — and that as a nation we are grappling with still. In the book, I’ve also tried to give readers a sense of the personal journey that Michelle and I went through during those years, with all the incredible highs and lows.”
He adds: “And finally, at a time when America is going through such enormous upheaval, the book offers some of my broader thoughts on how we can heal the divisions in our country going forward and make our democracy work for everybody — a task that won’t depend on any single president, but on all of us as engaged citizens. Along with being a fun and informative read, I hope more than anything that the book inspires young people across the country — and around the globe — to take up the baton, lift up their voices, and play their part in remaking the world for the better.”
Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, landed a multi-book deal with Crown for a whopping $65 million shortly after leaving the White House in early 2017. A Promised Land will arrive two weeks after the 2020 presidential election between incumbent President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee and Obama’s former Vice President Joe Biden.